Although they are undeniably favorites, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are not the only candidates competing for the American presidential election. From the Green Party candidate, through Robert Kennedy Jr and the Libertarian Party, here are the other names that will appear on the ballot in certain states.
Two figures are monopolizing the media attention of the American presidential campaign: Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, the candidates of the Democratic and Republican parties. The two major parties that structure American political life. But other names will appear on the ballot papers on November 5.
If none of these candidates can hope to obtain the keys to the White House, they are able to tip the balance towards Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. How? By depriving them of votes that could be crucial. Particularly in key states, the “swing states”. The New York Times notes that “in every key state, there is at least one third-party or independent candidate running for president.”
• Jill Stein, la candidate du Parti vert
Jill Stein, a Harvard-educated doctor, is the Green Party candidate for the US presidential election whose mantra is summed up in three words “people, planet, peace”.
This 74-year-old woman had already been a candidate for president in 2012 and 2016. Facing Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, she only received 1% of the vote in 2016. But the New York Times recalls that “many Democrats had made the Green Party candidate responsible for their defeat”. Jill Stein had in fact won 31,072 votes in Wisconsin, more than Hillary Clinton’s 22,748 votes. This allowed Donald Trump to win the state against. the Democratic candidate.
This environmental activist actually wants to fight against climate change. She defends an “economic charter of rights” which would include universal access to health care and the right to employment. She supports free public education. She also wants to defend access to abortion and transgender rights.
Jill Stein is strongly committed against the war in Gaza and in support of the Palestinian people. She is battling President Joe Biden’s support for Israel’s war effort. In April, she was arrested during a demonstration calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, CNN recalls. She also wants to withdraw American support for Ukraine.
His name will appear on the ballots of 46 of the 50 American states, according to his campaign website.
• Robert Kennedy Jr, the independent who supports Trump
Once in the running for the Democratic Party nomination before giving it up, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. considered joining the Libertarian Party before choosing to run as an independent. Last August, the nephew of the famous assassinated President John F. Kennedy announced that he would suspend his run for the White House and support Donald Trump.
He then announced that he would withdraw his name from the ballots in key states, believing that his presence in the race would help Kamala Harris. Only two “swing states” did not accept this late withdrawal: Michigan and Wisconsin.
His name will also be present on the ballots of 31 other states on November 5, according to CBS News. And in these states, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. still encouraged voters to vote for him.
This environmental law lawyer has become known in particular since the Covid-19 pandemic for his fight against vaccines, and his attraction to conspiracy theories. He has since been rejected by much of the Kennedy clan.
Seeking to appeal to both disaffected Democratic and Republican voters, he wants to withdraw American support for Ukraine and negotiate an end to the war. He promised, according to CNN, to put an end to the “epidemic of chronic disease” or to enact a five-year ban on lobbying for former government officials.
As of August 23, before his rallying to Donald Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr was credited with 4.6% of voting intentions, according to the polling institute FiveThirtyEight.
• Cornel West, an independent candidate
After trying to win the nomination of the Populist Party and then the Green Party, Cornel West, 71, decided to run for the White House for the first time as an independent.
This academic, who taught at Harvard and now at Princeton, is a specialist on the racial question in the United States. He describes himself as a “non-Marxist socialist” and supported Senator Bernie Sanders’ Democratic presidential primaries in 2016 and 2020.
Cornel West would like a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian territory. He also said he would cut off all U.S. aid to Ukraine and would like an end to NATO. He wants free health care for all American residents or wants to stop oil and gas leasing projects on federal lands.
• Chase Oliver of the Libertarian Party
Chase Oliver, 39, was nominated by the Libertarian Party last May. This former member of the Democratic Party began to get involved in politics by displaying his opposition to the war in Iraq in the early 2000s. The one who joined the Libertarian Party in 2010 defines himself as pro-arms. He wants to remove the United States from any conflicts abroad, and thus reduce support for Ukraine and Israel. He wants to decriminalize drug use and possession and wants to simplify the process of obtaining citizenship for immigrants.
Chase Oliver wants to put an end to the two-party system in American politics and judges on another subject that climate change will be resolved thanks to the law of the market.
• Randall Terry, Peter Sonski…
Other candidates will appear on the ballot in some states like Randall Terry of the Constitution Party. This 65-year-old man is an anti-abortion figure in the United States. Peter Sonski, candidate for the American Solidarity Party, is also in the running. He wants to be a defender of the family and also fights against abortion. Michael Wood of the Prohibition Party is also running for president.
